These 10 tips for staying healthy should be on your holiday to-do list.
Prioritizing a healthy mindset is key to staying fit during the holiday season.
Spend some time visualizing where you want to be; dream big and challenge yourself to hit physical and aesthetic goals.
Those physical goals can be things like working in those steps, staying active and drinking plenty of water while your aesthetic goals might include fitting into an outfit or achieving a healthy glow.
So, how do you get there?
1. Get started. With less than a month remaining in 2022, I say start today.
You have a choice to either make progress or go backwards. Stop allowing the calendar to dictate your health journey; a day is a day and you control how those days fit into your journey.
2. Begin journaling. It can be as simple as jotting down what you eat each day or it can be a more detailed snapshot of the healthy choices you’ve made.
We tend to overeat when we are busy and forget to make wise decisions. Recording your choices will help keep you accountable.
3. Plan ahead. I love planning events, trips and meals.
Planning ahead will give you the best chance at staying on track. Take time to coordinate family calendars so that fast food nights or social events are not a surprise.
I discourage my clients from using the word “cheating.” Health is not a card game; you control you.
I recommend substituting cheating with planning. For example, I love dressing, but I can’t eat it every day.
So I plan ahead when I know I will treat myself to the flavor I love, and instead of a free-for-all with my savory nemesis, I indulge in a bite or two or a measured small portion.
4. Drink at least 100 ounces of water per day.
If you plan on enjoying a sparkling cocktail during the holidays, drinking one glass of water for every glass of alcohol is a must.
Sparkling water with a twist of lemon is a great social hack if you want to avoid questions from those not-so-supportive friends and a warm cup of water with lemon is a great deterrent to an evening snack.
5. Get moving; it’s the key to creating a healthy lifestyle.
Not only does it burn calories, it gets your blood flowing, provides more oxygen and a fit mindset.
Set a goal and create a new routine that includes a brisk 10 to 15-minute walk in the morning, floor stretches before bed or choosing a parking spot far away from an entrance.
Then treat yourself to new workout shoes or leggings to get you going.
6. Modify your environment. If you have children at home, you likely have some questionable snacks lying around.
Keep your body fueled with healthy options like low fat cottage cheese, pickles, almonds or Optavia fuelings.
You will never find the Brinkley household without Little Debbie snack cakes for the teen. How do I manage this? I only keep in stock those varieties that I don’t prefer.
Learning to refrain from temptations is a real struggle, but it’s necessary to make progress.
Instead of cooking healthy meals for just yourself, make then for your family. Create an environment that will bring real and lasting changes to your lifestyle.
7. Portion control. Limiting your portion size is a powerful way to cut intake without feeling deprived.
God bless America, but our portions are out of control. Start a new habit of splitting an entree or leaving space on your plate to make portion control easy.
When you attend a social event that is centered around food, eat slowly and enjoy the company around you.
Don’t deprive yourself of flavors, manage them. If grazing is encouraged, then move away from the food tables.
For so many reasons during this season, we overschedule as much as we overeat.
8. Get plenty of rest; it’s so important for our metabolism and overall wellness.
A healthy mindset is easily maintained with a rested body. Set a goal for eight hours. If you can’t achieve that, start with 30 minutes more each week.
9. Eat before you go. When you anticipate overeating, you should eat before you go.
Arriving with a satisfied belly will help you make better decisions.
We often build up a holiday meal more than we should by setting the expectation high and the calorie intake even higher.
Reframe the situation and remember it’s just another meal. It can still have holiday flair without blowing your plan.
10. Enjoy the season and all the love and festivities it brings!
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